Luke Nguyen opens Fat Noodle in Brisbane

Natascha Mirosch

Celebrity chef Luke Nguyen is to open a venue in Brisbane. Fat Noodle is slated to open its doors in December in the recently revamped Treasury Casino in Queen Street.

The 100-seater restaurant will have a street frontage entrance separate from the casino and serve pan-Asian 'hawker style' food including Nguyen’s own Vietnamese as well as Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian.

Nguyen, who also co-owns Red Lantern in Sydney’s Surry Hills as well as Fat Noodle in the Star Casino in Darling Harbour said that while the concept was the same, the Brisbane venue would have a slightly different menu.

"There will be rice and noodles but also some of my favourite dishes from my travels through Asia; pho of course, cooked in 400 litre kettles with oxtail and wagyu, as well as abalone congee, soft-shell crab and rice paper rolls. Then there will be wok fried dishes like cubed Angus beef with black pepper and garlic."

Prices would range from $12-17, he said. "The idea is simple street food based on premium produce."

According to Nguyen, Fat Noodle Sydney turns over around 1800 people a day and he expects the Brisbane to be even busier.

"I’ve been to Brisbane many times and I’ve watched the food scene grow and grow. There’s a real hunger for Asian flavours here so I thought it was a perfect time for an Asian noodle bar."

A kitchen staff of forty will man the burners 24 hours, 7 days a week.

Rachel Luchetti from Sydney design firm Luchetti Krelle, also responsible for interiors at Sake Brisbane and the celebrated Momofuku Seiobo at the Star Casino said Fat Noodle Brisbane would be 'very different' from its Sydney sibling.

"There have been some challenges, both with the building and creating something that’s so high turnover but is still a bit special, but I can say that it’s going to be big on wow factor."

The Treasury’s Fat Noodle, along with the recently open bar Kitty and casual eatery The Kitchen is part of owner Echo Entertainment ongoing refurbishment of its Queensland properties, with an estimated $600 million to be invested in the Treasury, Jupiter’s Gold Coast and Jupiter’s in Townsville over the next five years.